The G&S Constitution, copied verbatim from the original in the Archive. All committees must abide by both this and YUSU's Constitution. It should be noted that this isn't the constitution we follow today, but a historical constitution from the Archive.

The name of the society shall be York University Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

The object of the society shall be the study and production from time to time of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The society shall consist of acting and non-acting members who are members of the University, and any Associate Members as defined in the Union Constitution.

There will exist a committee consisting of a maximum of eight members which will include:

The Chairman

The Secretary

The Treasurer and

Up to five other members who will be elected at the A.G.M.

The election of parties a) b) and c) shall be by successive rounds of voting, when the candidate polling the least number of votes shall be eliminated. If any candidate shall poll more than 50% of the votes, he or she shall be elected.

The Stage Director and Musical Director will be appointed by the committee after applications for the above posts have been received. They will hold office until the completion of the current show when the appointment will be reviewed. The aforementioned shall be eligible to attend and participate in meetings of the committee and have full voting rights.

The Annual subscription to the Society shall be agreed upon by the committee and affirmed by the members of the Society at the preceding A.G.M., for acting and non-acting members.

Subscriptions shall become due at the commencement of the Academic year in October. Any person wishing to join the Society after more than one term of the academic year has passed shall be liable to pay a proportion of the membership fee as decided by the committee.

The Committee shall have power by ordinary resolution to suspend any member whose subscription remains unpaid after the end of Week 1 in the second term of the Academic Year, from exercising all privileges of membership.

Any member may offer themselves for a principal part. The member shall take part in a competitive audition before the Casting Committee which will consist of suitable people selected by the Ordinary Committee.

The Ordinary Committee may in consultation with a majority of the Casting Committee rescind any award of a part should the successful applicant, by lack of application render such a step necessary. The candidate may, however, appeal at an extra-ordinary general meeting of the Society. If any tape recordings are made during auditions, such recordings must be erased as soon as the parts concerned are allocated.

Any member may resign his or her membership by giving to the Secretary notice in writing to that effect, but such a member shall not be entitled to the refund of any fees paid.

The A.G.M. of the Society shall be held within two weeks of the end of the show unless a two-thirds majority of the Society votes its change of date in any one year. The Treasurer will present the accounts at this time.

At all General Meetings the Secretary in the absence of the Chairman shall take the Chair. Every acting of non-acting member shall be entitled to one vote upon every motion, and in the case of equality of votes the Chairman shall have a casting vote.

Extra-ordinary General meetings will take place at the request of 10 ordinary members, and with at least three days' notice. All meetings must be advertised to all members. The Quorum for all meetings shall be 10 members or 30% of membership, whichever is the higher.

The Society shall have a current account with a Bank. The Treasurer and either the Chairman or the Secretary shall be co-signatories to this account. Similar conditions will apply to the entering into of any contract or undertaking, financial or otherwise, on behalf of the Society. The Accounts book shall be available for inspection at any reasonable time by any member of the Society.

Every Officer of the Society shall be entitled to be indemnified out of the assets of the Society against all losses or liability which he or she may sustain or incur in or about the execution of his or her office otherwise in relation thereto and no officer of the Society shall be liable for any loss, damage or misfortune which may happen to or be incurred by the Society in the execution of the duties of his or her office or in relation thereto. Providing that nothing in this clause shall affect their liability for the consequences of any negligent act on their part.

The Producer and Musical Director subject to the approval of the General Committee shall be empowered to fill any character part from sources outside the Society, if in their opinion the character part cannot be adequately cast from the acting members of the Society.

The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting (abstentions count against) at a meeting of the Society. Any amendment must be presented to Union Council for ratification.

The Society shall be wound up, if at a General Meeting duly convened by the Secretary a resolution for winding up is carried by a clear two-thirds majority of those present at such a meeting. Proxy votes shall not be allowed. In the event of winding up, all funds of the Society shall be used to pay outstanding debts and the balance returned to the Students' Union.

The Committee, in consultation with the Students' Union when appropriate, shall be the sole authority for the interpretation of these rules in this Constitution. The Society shall function according to the Constitution of the University of York Students' Union.

Amendment to 5)
It is the duty of the Committee to obtain for the Society the best producer and technical director possible irrespective of whether those persons are members of the Society.
The motto of the Society shall be "It'll be alright on the night"
The Society shall have a mascot and that mascot should be a possum.